Chapter Eighteen
When Meggie went to the man cave to tell Christopher she was taking Gunner outside to swing, Roxy, Tabitha, Zoann, Bunny, and Ophelia had full glasses of Meggie’s newly concocted cocktail that included dark rum, mango and peach syrups, orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice.
By the time she returned to the den, their glasses were empty, so she served a second round of rum sours.
This time, Kendall accepted a drink, although Bailey still declined. As a matter of fact, Bailey sat on the white leather recliner and barely spoke.
Meggie’s phone buzzed. She withdrew it from her pocket and saw a message from Christopher telling her Gunner was upstairs in his nursery and he’d bring the baby monitor as soon as he got the guys and headed to the den.
Responding with a thumbs up emoji, Meggie settled in a spot between Kendall and Bunny.
Because her kids were older—except Gunner and Jo—during Meggie’s last redecorating, she gave the den a more sophisticated feel.
Rather than follow trends, she chose traditional décor.
The oversized white sectional, matching loveseat, and one plush chair required regular cleaning.
Sometimes, Meggie questioned her decision, especially after Poop Gate.
But it was what it was and, if she didn’t like it, she could always redecorate.
Hopefully, she’d soon close the deal on the chandelier for the entrance hall.
Afterwards, she’d reassess her home projects on a case-by-case basis.
“How are you, baby?” Roxy asked.
“Better,” Meggie said.
Eyeing her, Tabitha sipped her drink. “You’re looking none the worse for wear.”
Meggie nodded at her daughter-in-law, unsure of what she meant and uninterested in finding out.
“Has things gotten back on track between you and Christopher?” Ophelia asked. She was Christopher’s youngest sister and only four years older than Meggie. She glanced at Tabitha. “Now that, er, you know…?”
Tabitha lifted a brow, a shark on the scent. Hopefully, Diesel had kept his mouth shut.
“I’m fine,” Meggie said serenely.
Roxy twirled the contents of her glass and smiled at Kendall. “How are you, sugar?”
“Adjusting.” She sighed. “Tired. Reeling.”
“I understand, baby,” Roxy said. “I know this isn’t easy for you, Kendall, but when I think back, I realize your resistance to Rory emulating Johnnie came from a place of fear. You knew the score, so you wanted to shield him. You could’ve went about it differently—”
“I don’t agree with you that only I knew the score,” Kendall responded. “So did Zoann, Ophelia, and Meggie. They knew it, too.”
“Because of your experiences with Spoon, you understood what was in store for your sons. Maybe, it was subconscious. From what I heard, Ophelia barely came to the club at one time. Zoann…well…whether or not they ended up with bikers, their fate was inextricably tied to the Death Dwellers because of their grandfather, brother, and cousin.”
Meggie bumped Kendall’s shoulder with her own. “Roxy’s right. Accept your accolades.”
“I agree with Roxy too, Kendall,” Zoann said. “I got so angry with you because you always wanted to separate Rory from his cousins. Yes, you needed fucking up for some of your methods, but I understand why you wanted to raise him as a businessman rather than a biker.”
“I can’t tell you how much I regret my behavior,” Kendall confessed.
“We’ve all forgiven you,” Bunny told her. “We can’t change any of it, but you’ve learned. We’ve learned. We made mistakes, too. We all love you. Truly, so Meggie’s right about Roxy being right. You saw the writing on the wall. We didn’t.”
“I regret my behavior too,” Meggie said.
They all looked at her and she raised her hand to forestall their arguments.
“The day we met, Kendall,” Meggie confessed. “I was nineteen. I couldn’t understand your resentment toward me. Now, that I’m older, I do. I wouldn’t appreciate some nineteen-year-old bouncing up to me thinking she knew everything about my man and blind to the reality of life.”
Kendall swallowed.
“You were right. I had a lot of growing up to do.”
“It only took you eighteen fucking years,” Kendall said, giggling.
Meggie elbowed her. “Shut up,” she said with a laugh.
“I was eaten up with jealousy, darling,” Kendall said.
“I could’ve handled that situation better, too.
” She heaved in a breath. “But I was wrong to try to change you. Wrong to try to make you be who I thought you should be. I was also wrong about your husband. He allowed you to be you more than any of us. And I was wrong about how much you two loved each other.”
“You both have grown up,” Roxy said proudly. “And that’s the important thing.”
Meggie glanced at Bailey, so lost and alone. She wasn’t sure how to include her in the conversation, given her father’s shocking death. Then, she thought of a perfect segue. “Digger and Mortician were the two with the least baggage.”
Bunny nodded. “I agree. They might’ve been emotionally unavailable for one reason or another, but they didn’t have women who Bailey and me had to compete with.”
“Exactly!” Meggie said. “Christopher, Johnnie, Val, and Cash—”
“You can add Stretch,” Ophelia said. “In the beginning, we were competing against each other for Cash.”
“And Val was the fucking worst,” Zoann grumbled. She smiled at Bailey’s profile. “The Banks Brothers were quite free in that regard.”
Instead of answering, Bailey sat stiffly.
Meggie tried to think of another way to draw her into the conversation.
“Stop looking at me like I’m a freak, Meggie,” Bailey told her, staring straight ahead. “I have nothing to say.”
“Oh, baby,” Roxy responded. “None of us are judging you. I was angry with you and I still hope you’ll apologize to CJ—”
“That will never happen.” Bailey’s words raised Meggie’s hackles. “If it wasn’t for that asshole, Harley never would’ve slept with Nardo.”
“Wait a minute—” Meggie started, but the arrival of the guys interrupted her .
The moment Mortician walked in, Kendall sipped her drink, eyed Bailey, licked her lips, and grinned. “Mort,” she called, jumping to her feet. She sailed to him and held out her glass. “Taste this. Meggie made it up just for us. Those of us who have sense, that is.”
Bailey made a face at Kendall, who smirked in return.
Ignoring his wife, Mortician sipped Kendall’s drink. His eyes lit up. “Fuck, that shit delicious.” He started to hand the glass back, but Digger snatched it and gulped half the contents.
“You right, Mort.”
“Fuckhead, get me another drink,” Kendall ordered, completely recovered from the game Meggie insisted they play with Johnnie so he’d back off.
She hated to see Kendall so miserable.
“You let Mort have some,” Digger complained, draining her glass and going to where Meggie sat the pitcher on the coffee table. Once he refilled it, he held it out. “Here, Kendall.”
“Red, baby, get another fucking glass for a fresh drink. Don’t drink behind that fool.”
“That’s cold, Mort,” Digger said.
Just as she was about to grab the drink, he frowned and pulled the glass away. He dipped a finger into the liquid and flicked something out.
“It’s cool now.”
“That’s fucking disgusting, Mark,” Bunny said. “Get her a new drink in a clean glass.” She held out her hand. “I’ll drink that one.”
“She’d drink behind Mort.” Scowling, Digger glared at Kendall. “You’d drink behind Mort.”
“I don’t leave fucking food crumbs in the woman’s drink, son,” Mort retorted.
“It’s not a booger.” Digger looked at Kendall. “You taking this drink or what, Kendall? ”
“Talk to my woman with respect,” Johnnie ordered, as if he hadn’t pouted with Kendall most of the evening. At dinner, he’d pointedly ignored her.
“Not,” Roxy answered. “Get my baby a new drink, then sit the fuck down.”
“Fine!” Digger stomped to the bar, grabbed a glass, then stalked back to the coffee table and poured Kendall another drink. “Here, fuck. Don’t offer your drink again.”
“I didn’t—”
“She didn’t offer it to you , fuckhead,” Johnnie barked, adopting the role of protective husband and hopefully laying his anger to bed.
Johnnie wanted Kendall to stop interfering in club business. He was upset that Christopher suddenly involved her when for so many years, he’d barred her. Kendall refused to budge, especially since she’d taken the VHS tapes found in one of the boxes Bailey lent her and had them digitized.
Kendall offered a compromise and asked Johnnie to work with her to uncover all the truths. The idiot declined.
Johnnie acted like a high schooler vying for a popularity contest. He wanted to feel needed, the smartest cookie in the jar, and above everyone. Johnnie’s ego was more fragile than models on a catwalk. Meggie was so tired of his god complex.
Christopher was the god, and he didn’t behave as badly as Johnnie. Meggie understood both Johnnie and Christopher’s attitude went back to Logan. The vile man damaged both his grandsons in unimaginable ways. Hopefully, he was roasting in hell.
She believed her father had gone to purgatory, because Big Joe had turned bad. It wasn’t inherent in him. Unlike men like Logan Donovan and Sharper Banks .
Bailey sighed and shifted in her seat. She needed to get a clue.
Meggie’s friendship with her began fracturing months ago. Bailey pulled away first, then targeted CJ because of Harley’s lies.
No one, but no one hurt Meggie’s potato. She might not know her exact place in his life right now, but she adored her son. In her head, they’d grown up together. She’d given birth to him three months before her nineteenth birthday, so he’d always hold a special place in her heart.
He wasn’t her favorite per se. He was just… special .
“Where’s Diesel, Aunt Meggie?” Tabitha asked, finishing her second drink and digging the ice out of her glass. She popped it into her mouth and crunched on it. “He said he had an errand to run, but he missed dinner and still hasn’t returned.”